At a glance...

Section 8: Prejudice review

Digital distribution isn't all about wonderfully wacky indie games, retro cash-ins and something a bit different from the big publishers. Sometimes it allows you to take something which didn't work first time around as a retail release and rework it as a game that goes directly to the player's hard disk drive. This is the case with Section 8 which had a reasonable reception upon launch a couple of years ago as a retail Xbox 360 and PC game, but developer TimeGate Studios went it alone and released the PS3 version digitally-only. Seeing the success of this the sequel Section 8: Prejudice, has followed the same method, priced at just 1200 Microsoft Points (£10.20) on the Xbox Live Arcade.

When you pay only £10 for a brand new game you expect things to be somewhat cut-down, or for it to be missing big chunks that some hefty DLC or even microtransaction items might fill in. This isn't the case with Prejudice; you get a full game experience, complete with a campaign and a multiplayer component that most will pick it up for. In fact, I was surprised to discover it had a singleplayer campaign, thinking that the shift in pricing and distribution models meant a focus purely on online play, but actually there are story-driven missions available offline. It isn't the most gripping of campaigns, filled mostly with the usual space marines and alien worlds, although it does also feature Halo-esque, larger, more open environments and dramatic set pieces. There's certainly not a lot to complain about in the campaign, and it is rather sizable at 6-8 hours in length, but it's just not inspiring or original enough to keep you hooked unless you're looking for another FPS campaign to get into.

While it is a full story-driven game, with cut-scenes and action which takes place over more than a simple arena, you can't help but feel that the single player, to a certain extent, is just training for the multiplayer component which is the real meat here. As you progress through single player you learn some of the important concepts of multiplayer, such as Supply Drops and ordering in turrets and vehicles. It's generally enjoyable, but its inclusion feels like a curious reversal of how early Xbox Live Arcade games had to include arbitrary multiplayer modes due to Microsoft's policies. This is the opposite - a competent single player game tacked on alongside the beast that is the multiplayer.

The real substance of Section 8: Prejudice lies in the Xbox Live multiplayer component which supports up to 32 players thanks to dedicated server support. Yes, that's right, you can pay to set up a dedicated server that will host all those players without the lag issues common in many Xbox 360 shooters. The main mode of play is a gametype called Conquest where two teams aim to capture Control Points to increase their score, with the highest score winning when time runs out. However, there's far more to it than simply taking points; along the way you'll be presented with missions, such as protecting a VIP or escorting goods, that bring greater rewards if completed successfully. They bring a great deal of variation to the matches, and help cement Prejudice as an objective-based team game, rather than simply another team deathmatch shooter.

There is, however, still plenty of shooting in Prejudice , but thankfully the weapons are generally satisfying, if not particularly original with the standard selection of rocket launchers and assault rifles, and you can only hold two at a time. The weapons are, however, upgradable as part of the unlock system which is driven by the amount of experience you've earned through actions such as defending a key target. These allow for a high degree of customisation, and serve to provide you with options that suit your style, rather than simply providing over-powered choices for those who have ranked up. In addition to the unlocks there's an in-match economy, where actions such as capturing a Control Point will provide you with cash which you can use to purchase turrets and vehicles, which are then dropped in from the sky thanks to air support.

It's not just supplies that drop in from the air; every time you spawn you get to choose where on the map you'd like to be, and then you're dropped from a high altitude onto that position. As you're falling there's a certain degree of freedom allowing you to get to the current hotspot. However, you need to be careful of the anti-aircraft (AA) turrets that are littered around occupied bases. The sheer sensation of falling out of the sky almost makes the previous death worthwhile, and certainly makes the return to the game feel quicker, even though it's still doing some loading in the background.

The air drop starts are part of the fast-natured action in Prejudice which can see the march towards victory turned around very quickly. With 32 players running about - slots are taken by bots in the absence of humans - you will quite often see an 'inevitable victory' turn into 'impending defeat', and you need to think quickly and act together as a team in order to succeed. Jet packs help aid the mobility of the game, with some levels playing on this vertical action rather well. It's enjoyable, varied and addictive, and these qualities certainly make up for any shortfalls in the single player.

Conquest isn't the only multiplayer mode, although is the focus of most of the action. Swarm is the now-inevitable co-op gametype where you are pitted against increasingly difficult waves of enemies, and is one of those modes that work best when played with friends. Assault is essentially a more simplified version of Conquest where the aim is to capture all the control points, with teams taking turns to achieve this in the fastest time. One of the most interesting things about it is that it wasn't included in the initial release. It was added into the game for free by TimeGate when the gaming public reached the 10 million in-game kills target they had set. The developer continues to support the game post-release, with updates and downloadable content which have expanded the map set, albeit at a premium. But with the entry cost being so low you can forgive the need to charge for further development efforts, particularly when the initial package is so compelling in the first place.

Section 8: Prejudice is a game that demonstrates how developers can seize new opportunities on the internet. At £40 the game would be worth checking out but hard to recommend to all considering what it has to compete with. But at just over £10 it becomes something that all first person shooter fans should invest in for a little nugget of multiplayer joy to get over the summer drought of gaming.

Ratings

Click here for more Section 8: Prejudice reviews.

Copyright Information

Website design and content (c) 1999-2012 allaboutgames.co.uk.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License, except where otherwise noted.

Smileys taken from Crack's Smilies.